Wall facing



Nov. 12, 19 63 D. E. VALVERDE 3,110,374

WALL FACING Filed Nov. 4, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 o INVENTOR.

Q BY

ATTORNEY DAVID'E. VALVERDE N 1963 D. E. VALVERDE WALL FACING 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Nov. 4, 1959 INVENTOR. DAVID E. VALVERDE BY ,/M& W,

ATTORNEY Nov. 12, 1963 D. E. VALVERDE WALL FACING Filed NOV. 4, 1959 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 mmvrox. DAVID EVALVERDE M Z W ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,110,374 WALL FAQING David E. Vaiverde, Miami, Fla, assignor, by direct and mesne assignments, to Metallic Engineering 60., Miami, Fla, a corporation of Florida Filed Nov. 4, 1959, Ser. No. 850,831 3 Qiaims. {CL 189-32) This invention relates to building structures and is more particularly directed to latticed wall facings of the bar-tracery type adapted for decorative purposes or as a sun screen.

A principal object of the present invention is to provide a wall facing for buildings consisting of prefabricated panels that are both decorative and functional as a sun screen and which are readily erected on the building.

Another object of the present invention is to provide prefabricated panels of the bar tracery type for latticed wall facings wherein the design of the panels can be varied as desired without the. necessity of changing the basic members but merely by changing the shape of the tracery bars and adding other elements.

Another object of the present invention is to provide prefabricated panels described as above wherein the various elements constituting the panels are fastened together by a simple staking process thereby avoiding the use of fastening devices.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide latticed wall facings for building structures which are made up of prefabricated panels of any desired design that are simple in construction, manufactured by mass production methods, and therefore are inexpensive in cost as well as being produced readily and in quantity.

Still another object of the present invention is the provision of latticed wall facings consisting of two basic members namely, stiles and tracery bars yet the number of designs that can be evolved from the use of these members are varied as well as manifold.

With these and other objects in View, the invention will be best understood from a consideration of the following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, with the understanding, however, that the invention is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings but maybe changed or modified so long as such changes or modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a single panel of a latticed wall facing embodying my invention.

FIGURE 2 is a vertical sectional View taken along the line 22 of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the line 3--3 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 44- of FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 5 is a detailed perspective View of a bar tracery or stile.

FIGURE 6 is a perspective view of an ornamental member.

FIGURE 7 is a side view of the panel assembly shown in FIGURE 1 with further panels shown interlocked at the top and bottom and shown by dotted lines.

FIGURE 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8-8 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURE 9 is a perspective view of a stile partially broken away at the position of the main support member.

FIGURE 10 is a cross sectional view taken along the line Ili -10 of FIGURE 7.

FIGURES 11 to 13 inclusive are front elevational views "ice of wall facings each having a varied ornamental construction.

FIGURE 14 is a horizontal sectional view taken along the line 14-14 of FIGURE 13.

FIGURE 15 is a perspective view of a stile of modified construction.

Referring to the drawings wherein like numerals are used to designate similar parts throughout the several views and in particular to FIGURES 1-10 inclusive, the numeral Iii refers to a panel of an ornamental latticed wall facing or grill consisting of a plurality of vertically disposed and equally spaced stiles 11 extending between horizontally disposed support members 12. At the midportion of the stiles 11 is a further horizontal support member 13 secured to the stiles II and extending between the stiles 11 are ornamental or tracery bars 2L4. Although the ornamental design of the tracery bars are undulating in effect any grill like design may be used as is shown in greater detail hereinafter.

The stiles 11 can best be described as being a double slotted Lbar comprising a web portion 17 with conventional flanges 13 positioned at each end of the web I7. Spaced inwardly of the flanges 18 are a pair of flange members 19, 19 forming a pair of aligned slots 20 at each end of the web portion 17.

For the sake of convenience of handling, transporting and erecting, the wall facing is constructed in panels Iii of predetermined size. As shown by FIGURE 1 a panel 10 consists of a plurality of vertically disposed and equally spaced stiles 11. Extending Ibetwen the stiles 11 in an undulating manner are the tracery bars 14 which have been bent to shape as shown prior to placing them between the stiles 11. The elongated tracery bars 14 consist of a flat body portion 21 along each edge of which is an enlarged portion or bead formed by diagonal wall portions 22 extending outwardly of the body portion 21 and inwardly extending wall portions 23 converging together as shown best 'by FIGURE 6.

In the prefabrication of the grills preparatory to securing them in position on a wall of a building, an appropfiate jig is utilized wherein a plurality of stiles 11 are placed thereon in spaced parallel position with the preformed tracery bars 14 extending between the stiles 11, the bent portions 25 in contact relation with the web 17 of the stiles 11 and lying between the flanges d9. The flanges 19 are now struck or upset by a power tool so as to cause theflanges 19' to be peened over or bent inwardly as at 26 on the walls 25 of the tracery bars 14 thereby securing the stiles 11 and the tracer bars 14 to gether. See FIGURES 2-4 inclusive.

At the mid portion of the grill 19 there is placed the horizontally disposed support member 13 which has a T-shaped cross section consisting of a horizontal base member 28 extending at right angle from the mid-portion of a vertical face member 29. A flange member 3i? extends outwardly of the face member 29 in alignment with the base member 23 but inan opposite direction. The flange member 36 is provided with a plurality of slots 31 for receivingthe flanges i9, 20 of the stiles 11. After the stiles 11 have been fitted into the slots 31, a power tool is used to strike the flanges 30 on both sides of and adjacent to the slot 31 as at 33 causing the edges 32 of the flanges 30 to be upset and engage the flanges 19, 20. The grill 1% is now ready to be transported to the site of erection.

A building upon which the grill panels 16 are to be erected is made ready for receiving the panls It) by mounting a single horizontal row of end support members 12., the one upon which the lowermost row of panels ill will rest.

The end support members 12 are double T-shaped in cross section consist ng of. a horizontal base mern er 34 extending at right angle from the mid-portion of a vertical face member 35. Forwardly of the face member 35 there extends a horizontal web member 36 in alignment with the base member 34. A vertically disposed flange member 37 is joined at its rnid-pontion to the forward edge of the web member 35 and lying parallel with the face member 35. The vertical flange member 37 is slotted as at 38 for receiving the web members 17 or" the stiles 11 while the flanges 18, 19 of the stiles 11 are received by the grooveforrned by the web 36 and the upper portions of the flanges 35 and 37 of the double T-support member 12.

After the first horizontal tier of panels 1% have been placed on the lowermost double T-support member 12 which had been secured to the wall of the building, the middle support members 13 are now secured to the building and the second horizontal row of double T- support bars 12 are placed in position on the top portion of the panels 1%? in the same manner as that described with realtion to the lowermost row of end support members 12 described hereinabove. This row of end support members 12 are new secured to the wall of the building and the next horizontal row of panels 19 are placed in position in the same manner as the first row of panels 1%. This procedure is repeated until the entire wall of the building is covered by the panels As pointed out hereinabove, the horizontal support members 12, E2, 13 are used for strengthening the panel structures it and to fasten the panels 1i) securely to a wall of a building. The mid-positioned support member 13 may be omitted if desired as well as other support members such as channel members and the like may be used in lieu of the end support members 12.

Also, the designs that can be made utilizing the stiles 11 and the tracery bars 1 are manifold and as variegated in shapes or combination of shapes, panelling and voids as a mind can conceive. Examples of variety of designs are illustrated by FIGURES 11-13 inclusive. In each of these designs, the same stiles 11 and tracery bars 14 as described hereinabove are used to produce the panels 40, 50 and 6d. However, the shapes into which the tracery bars 14 are bent are slightly different as may likewise be the arrangement of the tracery bars 14. In the panel 49 shown in FIGURE 11, the tracery bars 14 are bent into the same shape as those shown in FIGURE 1, but are slightly altered; the position of alternate pairs of tracery bars 14 are changed so that the diamond design effect is altered. Also, in the alternate stiles 11 only small sections of stiles 11 are used rather than full lengths as shown by FIGURE 1.

In FIGURE 12, the tracery bars 114 are rounded as shown rather than bent at a sharp angle 25 as shown in FIGURE 3. In FIGURE 13 there is shown a combination of tracery bars 14 and solid panelling '41 fastened to the stiles 11 to form a still modified design of grill or latticed panelling 60. The tracery bar 14 being of similar construction as described hereinabove is of such length to form one diamondshape. Above and below the tracery bars 14 are solid panels 41 which are received by the slots 28 of the stiles 11 and staked as at 42 by a suitable power tool. The panels 41 can be placed on the rearward slots 2d of the stiles 11 as shown in section by FIGURE 14 and also on the forward slots 20. The panels 41 can be'of sheet metal, expanded metal or of plastic material of any suitable color or design.

As pointed out hereinbefore, the grill panel-ling 1%, 4d, 5d and so may be ornamental or functional in purpose. If it is desired to use the gnill'panelling as a sun screen then a greater width of material used is desirable in order to cast a greater shadow. Such an effect may be obtained by utilizing a sail 111 as shown by FIGURE 15. The stile 111 is substantially identical in construction with the stile 14- described hereinabove consisting of the web 17 with the double pair of slots 29' at the ends thereof, the slots 2% being formed by opposed flanges 18, 19. A further elongated flange 43 extends outwardly of one of the flanges 18- and in alignment with the Web 17. The elongated flange 43 produces the sole function of intercepting the suns rays so that the heat of the sun is dissipated out of doors rather than within or on the building.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. A latticed panel structure comprising a plurality of spaced elon ated substantially I-beam stiles with malleable flanges and substantially flat tracery bars having beaded edges and each bar extending in an undulating design in the plane of the stiles betweenalternate points of attachment to the adjacent I-beam stiles,

said beaded edges being thicker than the flat bar, and

projecting to each side of the bar, and being adapted to fit against the side of the I-beam stiles at each point of attachment in the flange corners thereof, and

the bar surface being slightly spaced from the Lbeam surface so as to assure concentrated line contacts of the beads with the sides of the I-beam at its opposite edges due to the peening pressure of the flanges around the opposite sides of the beads, the flanges being peened over said beaded edges at these points to provide a rigid deep latticed trusswork of high strength over large spans and having good sun screening qualities with minimum restriction to air ventilation therethrough. 2. A latticed panel structure as defined in claim 1, said I-beam stiles having their web portions extended beyond the flanges to provide additional flanges spaced from said tracery bar supporting flanges to form grooves to receive additional panel structure when desired.

3. A latticed panel structure as defined in claim 2, said I-bearn stiles having their Webs further extended at one side beyond the flanges on said side to form additional sun shielding surfaces.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS OTHER REFERENCES Civil Engineering Magazine; March 1958, pages 97 and 

1. A LATTICED PANEL STRUCTURE COMPRISING A PLURALITY OF SPACED ELONGATED SUBSTANTIALLY I-BEAM STILES WITH MALLEABLE FLANGES AND SUBSTANTIALLY FLAT TRACERY BARS HAVING BEADED EDGES AND EACH BAR EXTENDING IN AN UNDULATING DESIGN IN THE PLANE OF THE STILES BETWEEN ALTERNATE POINTS OF ATTACHMENT TO THE ADJACENT I-BEAM STILES, SAID BEADED EDGES BEING THICKER THAN THE FLAT BAR, AND PROJECTING TO EACH SIDE OF THE BAR, AND BEING ADAPTED TO FIT AGAINST THE SIDE OF THE I-BEAM STILES AT EACH POINT OF ATTACHMENT IN THE FLANGE CONERS THEREOF, AND THE BAR SURFACE BEING SLIGHTLY SPACED FROM THE I-BEAM SURFACE SO AS TO ASSURE CONCENTRATED LINE CONTACTS OF THE BEADS WITH THE SIDES OF THE I-BEAM AT ITS OPPOSITE EDGES DUE TO THE PEENING PRESSURE OF THE FLANGES AROUND THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE BEADS, THE FLANGES BEING PEENED OVER SAID BEADED EDGES AT THESE POINTS TO PROVIDE A RIGID DEEP LATTICED TRUSSWORK OF HIGH STRENGTH OVER LARGE SPANS AND HAVING GOOD SUN SCREENING QUALITIES WITH MINIMUM RESTRICTION TO AIR VENTILATION THERETHROUGH. 